Toxic Landfills in Russia at Risk of ‘Catastrophic’ Overflow

Sergei Bobylev / TASS

Toxic landfills are putting the health of 17 million Russians at risk, say worried officials.

The State Duma estimates there are almost 11,000 landfills and 40,000 garbage dumps in urban areas, protected forests and rural regions. Protests calling for the closure of garbage dumps have rocked small towns surrounding Moscow this spring, occasionally spilling into violence and in one case leading to the arrest of a local official.